Obituary of Lena Belle Merritt

Funeral services for Lena Belle Merritt, 87, Overton, will be held at 1:00 pm, Monday, February 6, in the Cottle-Pearson Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Ken Hayman officiating. Burial will be in Mason Cemetery, Arp. Mrs. Merritt passed away on Friday, February 3, 2017 in Kilgore. She was born March 25, 1929 in Troup to the late Charles Luper and Nannie C. Langford Mitchell. She moved to Overton in 1955 from Wright City and was a homemaker and also worked as a CNA and care giver. She was an avid reader and loved to crochet. She was a loving mother and was devoted to her sons and grandchildren whom she loved to take shopping. Besides her parents, Mrs. Merritt was preceded in death by her husband of 50 years of marriage, Franklin M. Merritt. Survivors include two sons and daughters-in-law, Kenneth and Pamela Merritt of Overton and Carl and Beckie Merritt of New London; a brother and sister-in-law, Earl Gene and Nelda Mitchell of Lindale; three sisters-in-law, Zelda Mitchell of Henderson, Ruby Mitchell of Whitehouse, and Ann Cureton of Kilgore; five grandchildren, Christopher Merritt, Bryan Merritt, Jeffery Merritt, Rodney Merritt, and Cascey Freeman; ten great grandchildren; a great grandson; and numerous nieces and nephews. Pallbearers will be Christopher Merritt, Bryan Merritt, Jeffery Merritt, Rodney Merritt Trampas Freeman and Andrew Love. Visitation for family and friends will be from 4 to 6 pm, Sunday, February 5 at Cottle-Pearson Funeral Home in Overton. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Alzheimer's Foundation of America 322 Eighth Ave., 7th fl. New York, NY 10001. The family would like to thank the staff of Arabella of Kilgore, The Willows of Kilgore and Hospice of East Texas for all the loving care they gave to their precious mother. Online registration and condolences are available at www.cottlefuneralhome.com.